Helene Hegemann (born 19 February 1992 in Freiburg im Breisgau) is a German writer, director, and actress. As a young writer her work was highly praised,
but her first novel, Axolotl Roadkill, sparked a plagiarism controversy.[1][2] The book has since been translated in various languages.
Life
She was raised by her divorced mother, a graphic artist and painter. After her mother's death, Hegemann moved in with her father.[3]
She began writing and first gained attention with her blog. On 6 December 2007, her play, Ariel 15 premiered in Berlin at Ballhaus Ost, directed by Sebastian Mauksch.
Hegemann called her play a literary fairy tale piece.[4]
Deutschland Radio adapted it as a radio drama in 2008.[5]
That same year, a screenplay she wrote at 14 was developed. It was underwritten by the Federal Cultural Foundation.[6]
The resulting film, Torpedo, a youth drama, premiered in 2008 at the Hof International Film Festival and ran in German cinemas in summer 2009. It won the Max Ophüls Prize.[7] Hegemann credits the Jean-Luc Godard film Weekend as a major influence on her writing style.[8]
Daniel Stich, Axolotl Roadkill und die Plagiatsdebatte: Welche erzählerische Funktion haben die unausgewiesenen Zitate im Roman Helene Hegemanns?, GRIN Verlag, 2011, ISBN978-3-640-96776-6